This application is a continuation-in-part of PCT international application PCT/FR01/01911, filed Jun. 19, 2001, which claims the benefit of priority based on French Application Nos. 00/09115, 01/05110, and 01/07310, filed Jul. 12, 2000, Apr. 13, 2001, and Jun. 5, 2001, respectively.
The present invention relates to a device for applying a product, for example, applying a make-up or a care product to the skin, to the hair, to the eyelashes, to the finger nails, and/or to the toe nails.
Cosmetics are increasingly incorporating one or more active agents for care of a treated surface. For example, agents such as hydrating agents or anti-wrinkle agents may be applied. It may be desirable to encourage penetration of such agents in order to boost their effectiveness. For example, German Patent No. 4 325 071 describes using magnetic particles dispersed in a cream, a lotion, a gel, or on a dressing to encourage blood circulation.
There exists a need to improve the ease with which a product may be extracted from a receptacle, to improve the application of a product on a surface to be treated, and to create novel make-up effects.
In the following description, certain aspects will become evident. It should be understood that the invention, in its broadest sense, could be practiced without having one or more of these aspects.
In one aspect, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention includes a device for applying a make-up product. The device includes an applicator element including a plurality of fibers. The applicator element may be configured to apply a make-up product, and at least one of the fibers may include at least one particle configured to generate a magnetic field.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cfiberxe2x80x9d means any generally elongate body (e.g., a bristle of a brush (e.g., a bristle of a mascara brush, nail varnish brush, paint brush, or blusher brush), a fiber in a flocking, a bristle in a paint brush, a fiber for applying a powder, fibers included in a filler for a product for applying to eyelashes (e.g., for lengthening the eyelashes)). The fibers may be relatively flexible, for example, elastically deformable, and the fibers may comprise a synthetic material.
In yet another aspect, a device for applying a product may be provided including an applicator element including a plurality of fibers. At least one of the plurality of fibers may include a plurality of particles configured to generate a magnetic field.
In another aspect, a device for applying a product may be provided including an applicator element including a porous member and a plurality of fibers extending from the porous member. At least one of the plurality of fibers may include at least one magnetic particle configured to generate a magnetic field.
According to yet another aspect, a device for applying a product may be provided with a core configured to generate a magnetic field and a plurality of application members connected to the core. At least one of the application members may be configured to interact magnetically with the core.
In still another aspect, a device for applying a product may include an applicator element including a plurality of fibers configured to be loaded with the product and to apply the loaded product. At least one of the fibers may include at least one particle configured to generate a magnetic field. The device may further include a receptacle configured to contain the product to be applied and the receptacle may define a recess configured to receive the applicator element.
In a further aspect, a device for applying a product may include an applicator element including a flocking. The flocking may include a plurality of fibers. At least one of the fibers may include at least one particle configured to generate a magnetic field.
In an additional aspect, a device for applying a product may include an applicator element defining an axis. The applicator element may include a plurality of bristles extending in a direction at least substantially parallel to the axis of the applicator element. At least one of the bristles may include at least one particle configured to generate a magnetic field.
The magnetic properties of fibers in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the invention may be used in multiple ways. For example, a magnetic field having a predefined or varying orientation may be generated by the fibers when a product is applied, for example, thereby encouraging microcirculation and penetration of active agents. By making use of any magnetic interactions between the fibers and/or by making use of the manner in which the fibers may react to an external magnetic field, it may be possible to orient the fibers in a particular arrangement while the fibers are loaded with product, for example, during optional wiping of the product and/or during application of the product, thereby possibly increasing the quantity of product loaded onto the applicator resulting in, for example, greater ease of application of the product.
In some exemplary embodiments of magnetic bodies used for conferring magnetic properties to fibers, it may be possible, for example, to impart a biocidal action suitable for enhancing conservation of a product (e.g., a cosmetic and/or a care product) in contact therewith.
In one aspect of the device, at least one of the fibers may include a synthetic material. In addition, at least one of the fibers may have a cross-section that is substantially constant. At least one of the fibers may be formed by one of extruding and co-extruding at least one of a thermoplastic material and an elastomeric material. For example, the plastic material used may contain a filler of magnetic particles, and the fiber may be formed by co-extrusion of two synthetic materials, with one of the two synthetic materials being filled with magnetic particles, for example. In another aspect, at least one of the fibers may include a non-magnetic inner portion and a coating comprising magnetic particles. The fibers may be formed by coating one or more magnetic bodies in at least one non-magnetic material, or by coating a nonmagnetic material (e.g., a fiber of wood, rayon, nylon, cotton, or polyethylene) in magnetic particles, which may also be encapsulated in a resin. For example, the magnetic particles may be particles coated in a resin (e.g., cyanoacrylate) or they may be formed by depositing a magnetic substance on a non-magnetic medium (e.g., a glass microbead or a wood fiber).
In another aspect, at least one of the fibers may include not only a synthetic material and magnetic particles, but the at least one fiber may also include particles capable of absorbing a liquid and/or a component in solution in the liquid, and/or the at least one fiber may also include particles capable of dissolving in a liquid. The liquid may include, for example, water, an oil, an alcohol, and/or any type of solvent. One exemplary embodiment may also provide a porous magnetic fiber. Another exemplary embodiment may provide a textured magnetic fiber.
In yet another aspect, at least one particle may at least partially include at least one material chosen from soft magnetic materials, hard magnetic materials, ferrites, ferrites based on zinc, ferrites based on nickel, ferrites based on manganese, rare earth elements, barium sulfates, silicon iron alloys, cobalt irons, and cobalt irons filled with molybdenum.
In a further aspect, at least one of the fibers may include one of magnetized particles and magnetizable particles, wherein the particles comprise an amount ranging from about 0.2% to about 30% by weight. At least one of the fibers may include at least one plastic material chosen from polyamides, polyethylene terephthalates (PETs), acetates, polyethylenes (PEs), polypropylenes (PPs), polyvinylchlorides (PVCs), amide block polyesters, plasticized RILSAN (which is believed to be a form of polyamide), elastomers, polyester elastomers, PE elastomers, silicone elastomers, and nitril elastomers. The plastic material selected may present properties whereby the selected material swells and/or softens upon coming into contact with a product (e.g., a cosmetic product and/or a care product) that comes into contact therewith, for example, water contained in the product. The fibers may contain particles of one or more materials selected from the following list: polymers that swell in water or in fat; super-absorbent cross-linked polyacrylates having a high swelling factor in water; poly-vinyl alcohol; carboxyvinyl polymers; semi-synthetic derivatives of cellulose; starches; bio-gums; biosaccharides; sclero-glucanes; casein; phytocalloids such as alginates; gelatin; cotton fibers; gelanes; xanthan; laponite; silicas, colloidal silicas; or mixtures thereof.
In still another aspect, the at least one particle may be at the surface of the at least one fiber. The at least one fiber may include magnetic particles only at the surface of the at least one fiber or the at least one fiber may include magnetic particles solely inside the at least one fiber. Alternatively, the at least one fiber may include magnetic particles dispersed throughout the at least one fiber.
According to an additional aspect, the cross-section of at least one of the fibers may be at least one shape chosen from circularly symmetric shapes, circular shapes, solid square shapes, hollow square shapes, disk shapes, disk shapes having a groove, solid triangle shapes, hollow triangle shapes, solid star shapes, hollow star shapes, U-shaped, V-shaped, I-shaped, T-shaped, Z-shaped, dash-shaped, cross-shaped, kidney-shaped, shapes having three branches, and hollow shapes.
In another aspect, the fibers may be merely magnetizable (i.e., they may become magnetized in response to exposure of a magnetic field) without being magnetized. In another embodiment, the fibers may be magnetized (i.e., they may generate a substantially permanent magnetic field).
Exemplary embodiments of the invention may be applied to a large number of applicator devices. The fibers presenting the magnetic properties may belong to the applicator device and/or the fibers presenting magnetic properties may be contained in the product.
In one exemplary embodiment, the device may include an applicator element having magnetized and/or magnetizable fibers along with a receptacle containing a product that contains particles suitable for being attracted by the magnetic field exerted by the fibers of the applicator element. For example, according to one exemplary embodiment, the device may include an applicator element having magnetized and/or magnetizable fibers and a receptacle containing a product that contains magnetized and/or magnetizable particles. The fibers may be suitable for being subjected to the magnetic action of the particles. In either case, the magnetic interactions between the fibers and the product may contribute to improved loading of the applicator element with the product.
In another aspect, the device may include a wiper member. In addition, the wiper member may be configured to generate a magnetic field (e.g., for the purpose of magnetizing an applicator element that includes magnetizable fibers) while the applicator element is withdrawn from the receptacle and/or for improving the quality of wiping. The applicator element may be a mascara brush and at least one of the bristles of the mascara brush may include at least one of the fibers. The bristles of the brush may be secured to a twisted core, which may or may not be magnetized.
In still a further aspect, the device may include a receptacle and a product (e.g., a make-up product) contained in the receptacle. The applicator element and the product may be configured such that the product is attracted to the applicator element (e.g., the product is attracted to the at least one fiber of the applicator element). For example, the product contained in the receptacle may include magnetized and/or magnetizable particles and at least one fiber may be configured to interact with the magnetized and/or magnetizable particles of the product.
According to another aspect, the applicator element may be a mascara brush including a plurality of bristles. At least one of the bristles may include at least one of the fibers configured to generate a magnetic field. The mascara brush may further include a magnetized core. The magnetized core may be twisted such that the plurality of bristles are connected to the magnetized core.
In yet another aspect, the applicator element may be a paint brush including a plurality of bristles, with at least one of the bristles including at least one of the fibers configured to generate a magnetic field.
According to yet another aspect, the applicator element may include a flocking including the plurality of fibers. The device may be configured so that flocking covers at least a portion of one of teeth, bristles, a wiper, a foam member, a porous member, a film, a perforated film, an endpiece, a woven fabric, and a non-woven fabric. In another aspect, the applicator element may include one of a woven fabric, a non-woven fabric, and a felt comprising the plurality of fibers. As discussed herein, the fibers may be fixed on many types of media, which may be magnetized so as to subject the fibers to a magnetic field and cause them, for example, to take up a particular configuration and/or to become magnetized. The fibers may be subjected to a magnetic field of a magnet fixed on a medium. The device may also contain a composition including a filler that includes at least some of the fibers.
In still another aspect, the plurality of fibers may be exposed to a magnetic field.
According to an additional aspect, the device may include a product (e.g., make-up product) including a plurality of fibers, at least one of the plurality of fibers of the product may include at least one particle configured to generate a magnetic field.
In another aspect, at least one of the fibers may have a diameter ranging from about 0.5 xcexcm to about 500 xcexcm, and at least one of the fibers may have a length ranging from about 0.5 mm to about 50 mm.
In yet another aspect, the plurality of fibers may include flocking on an application surface of the application element. Alternatively, the plurality of fibers may include a plurality of bristles.
According to an additional aspect, the applicator element may define an axis and a plurality of bristles may extend in substantially the same direction as the axis of the applicator element. The applicator element may further include branches of wire holding the plurality of bristles.
In another aspect, the device may include a receptacle containing a product (e.g., make-up product). The receptacle may be provided with an opening configured to receive the applicator element.
In an additional aspect, a method of manufacturing a device for applying a product may include exposing the plurality of fibers to a magnetic field. Exposing the fibers to a magnetic field may arrange the plurality of fibers in a desired orientation.
In another aspect, there is a method of applying a product. The method comprises providing the device, loading the applicator element with product and applying the loaded product to skin, hair (e.g., eyelashes, eyebrows, and/or scalp hair), and/or nails (e.g., finger nails and/or toe nails) via the device.
The term xe2x80x9cprovidingxe2x80x9d is used in a broad sense, and refers to, but is not limited to, making available for use, enabling usage, giving, supplying, obtaining, getting a hold of, acquiring, purchasing, selling, distributing, possessing, making ready for use, and/or placing in a position ready for use.
Aside from the structural and procedural arrangements set forth above, the invention could include a number of other arrangements, such as those explained hereinafter. It is to be understood, that both the foregoing description and the following description are exemplary.